The Rays announced Wednesday that they’ve acquired righty Mason Englert from the Tigers in exchange for minor league lefty Drew Sommers. Tampa Bay opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring southpaw Nate Lavender to the 60-day IL. Englert was designated for assignment in Detroit last week.
Englert, 25, was with the Tigers for the past two years. A Rule 5 pick from the Rangers, he stuck on the roster through the 2023 season. Once the Tigers had full control over his rights for 2024, he was shuttled between Triple-A and the majors. Over those two campaigns, he tossed 77 2/3 innings for Detroit, allowing 5.45 earned runs per nine. His 16.5% strikeout rate was subpar but he limited walks to a 6.4% clip.
Those numbers aren’t mind-blowing, but Englert was better in the minors last year. He tossed 49 2/3 innings on the farm over 32 appearances with a 3.08 ERA, 33% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate. Prior to his Rule 5 selection, he tossed 199 1/3 minor league innings over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.93 ERA, 27.7% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate.
Englert is still fairly young and has a couple of options years remaining. The major league results haven’t been there yet but the minor league numbers seem to be intriguing enough that the Rays have brought him aboard. As a club that rotates pitchers through the roster fairly frequently, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Englert moves between Triple-A and the majors throughout the coming season.
Lavender, 25, was just taken in the most recent Rule 5 draft. He had Tommy John surgery in May and likely won’t be able to return until the second half. Today’s transfer officially rules him out of the first two months of the campaign.
Though the Tigers had to bump Englert off the roster, they are at least getting something in return. Sommers, 24, was an 11th-round selection of the Rays in 2022. In 2023, he tossed 43 Single-A innings with a 2.72 ERA, 34.7% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 53.3% ground ball rate. Last year, he got bumped up to High-A and tossed 54 innings with an ERA of 4.00, 27.9% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate and massive 67.8% ground ball rate. He’s not considered a top prospect but will give the Tigers an intriguing lefty relief option to plug into their system.
Trading a young pitcher who hasn’t hit his full potential yet to the Rays. What could go wrong?
Yeah he’ll shave two runs off his ERA, and blow his arm out in the first 1.5 seasons.
Will they flip him for prospects before he blows his arm out?
Fine with this. Englert was a rule 5 pick and never quite lived up to his promise. Would have been nice to keep him to see if he could eventually work it out, but needed the roster room . At least we got something for him.
I never quite got the selection of Englert. He seems like a AAAA player.
There’s a reason most teams pass on the Rule 5 draft.
Most good teams pass on the rule 5 draft, struggling teams usually give it a try. The Tigers were struggling when they picked him.
Clemente, Johan Santama, George Bell, Uggla, Josh Hamilton, Victorino, Soria, etc All were Rule 5 picks. Whether or not a team is good should not dictate if they use Rule 5 draft. The man thing is if they have a roster spot available and believe the player adds value.
The biggest issue for good teams in regards to Rule 5 draft is the bad teams have first chance. So players with talent rarely fall to the teams that are good at the time.
@3232
Excellent post!
What’s the reason?
Left handed relievers are always interesting. Tyler Holton turned out to be a good find and they have a couple they kept around on the 40 man that are interesting too.
If Tampa Bay wants your young pitcher, that’s probably a sign you should keep him.
Tigers gave them Alex Faedo a few weeks ago too.last year Tyler Alexander was claimed off waivers and didn’t pitch well for Rays so not all players they get from us work out.we shall see about these recent 2
Didn’t Tyler Alexander almost throw 2 no no’s last year? I’m pretty sure I remember him dominating late into several games when he got the spot start.
He pitched 6 perfect inninngs in may 2024 but gave up 3 hits and 3 runs the next 2 innings that’s only game he came close to no hitter but his overall #’s didn’t look very good from what i saw. 5.:10 era in 23 games 9 starts.Most of his career his Era has been high so he’ll have odd really good game then lot of mrdiocre ones.He had some good games for Tigers but can’t sustain it overall.Hopefully he figures it out in Milwaukee,
I think the Tigers bested the Rays but, it will take some time to prove it.
So after paying $15MM to sign Cobb, today is the first day of camp. Guess who is injured and will be at least a month behind? Gotta be more thorough on those physicals! ( or just sign players that didn’t miss almost all of last year with a variety of injuries. )
I think Alex Cobb told the Tigers he hurt his hip a few weeks before spring training camp. Still, it’s a bit suspicious. I feel the guarantee contract is being abused.
I think someone joked when the Tigers signed Cobb that he may end up needing hip replacement surgery. Go figure.
So that’s why they haven’t hired the Superfife yet……too busy doing the heavy lifting, I see.
That’s the only conclusion I can draw.
Congratulations, Drew Sommers!
Englert seemed to be way down on Detroit’s depth chart. Getting anything for him in a trade isn’t completely bad. Of course he will rise like a phoenix now under the Rays’ magic tutelage, but he had his chances with the Tigers.
Gruß,
BSHH
The rays next ace
Englert looked decent,not great for the Tigers in ’24,but the Rays have a knack of fixing youngsters,i.e.Isaac Paredes,anther ex-Tigers farmhand.Sommers may or may not help the Tigers,but at six-three,300 pounds,he’s such a big boy he put the club over the CALORIE cap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess the Tigers traded for Jonathan Broxton’s younger brother !!!!!!!!!!!!!